Ghostly Fun

For almost 100 years, Disney has entertained family audiences with their amazing live-action and animated films. One of my favourites is the oft forgotten 1968 pirate tale Blackbeard’s Ghost.

Like most Disney pictures from this era, there is not going to be anything shocking or surprising in this one, only wholesome family fun. The story is solid yet simple and follows Steve Walker, played by Dean Jones (who was a Disney favourite during the 1960’s and 1970’s), the new track coach at tiny Godolphin College.

He drives into town late one night and arrives at his boarding house; an eerie, pieced-together old inn built by Captain Blackbeard and his crew and maintained all these years later by a group of little old ladies called The Sisters of the Buccaneers – supposed descendants of the long deceased pirate and his gang.

The Sisters are in tough though, as Silky Seymour (Joby Baker), the local restauranteur and casino owner, is looking to buy out the large mortgage the ladies owe to the bank so he can turn it into a large gambling establishment. When Walker arrives, there is a charity drive to save the inn and our protagonist purchases an old bed-warming pan that was said to belong to the witch Aldetha Teach, Blackbeard’s ninth wife, who cursed the pirate while burning at the stake.

In typical Disney fashion, a magic spell found inside the antique is uttered by our hero which enables him and only him to see the ghost of Blackbeard, played by Peter Ustinov. The two clash, as the boozy and boisterous pirate does not see eye to eye with the quiet, teetotaling track coach. Walker tries to flee in the middle of the night to rid himself of the pest, but the ghost follows and trouble ensues as Walker is pulled over by a cop while he and Blackbeard are fighting for the wheel. He is then thrown into the drunk-tank as the pirate’s bottle of alcohol is mistaken for his.

As the story progresses, Walker grudgingly begins to allow Blackbeard to help with the Sisters’ cause after the pirate foolishly places a large sum of their money on the weak Godolphin squad to win the track meet. This leads to one of the funniest scenes of the movie, with the invisible Blackbeard hilariously intervening to help the pitiful Godolphin team win against their superior opponents. Near the end of the film, the odd couple have united and march arm in arm singing a catchy British Navy song, “Heart of Oak”, on their way to deal with Seymour and the rest of his cronies, who have refused to pay their winnings.

The climax begins with Walker and Jo Anne Baker (Suzanne Pleshette), who plays a professor and the love interest of our protagonist, confronting the mobsters about their reneged winnings that would pay off the mortgage for the little old ladies. Instead, Walker grudgingly accepts an offer (at the prompting of the pirate) in which the couple will try their luck in the casino to recoup the cash. Let’s just say that Blackbeard evens the odds against the crooked gambling establishment so that they win the needed money. This leads to a final memorable fight scene, with one of the best moments occurring after Blackbeard has removed the guns from the gangsters’ pockets and Walker quick-draws his fingers into a pistol shape to duel with the foes. He pulls the trigger while making a shooting sound and Blackbeard knocks the henchmen out. For those of you who have watched the entertaining 2010 action movie The Losers, you will see a very similar trick that is used by Chris Evans’ character.

The acting in this film is excellent. Ustinov’s performance must be singled out. His transformation into the rum swigging, sneaky and swarthy pirate is more than entertaining. Dean Jones plays the straight-laced and beleaguered character perfectly. Suzanne Pleshette is well-cast as the kind, intelligent and loyal woman who is dumbfounded by Walker’s bizarre behaviour that is caused by the invisible Blackbeard. Joby Baker is delightfully wicked as the slimy, back-stabbing criminal Silky Seymour. Elsa Lanchester, though playing only a secondary part, must also be mentioned. Her role as the head of the Sisters is appropriately spooky and slightly off the wall. It was also one of the last movies Walt Disney worked on (he was a presenter), though it was released three years after his death.

Blackbeard’s Ghost is an enjoyable family film that will be fun for both parents and children alike. It is mildly eerie at times, funny at others, and has a simple yet enjoyable storyline that will appeal to most. So, place your bets on this forgotten Disney classic comedy – you will be sure to win.